May 09 23
Knight of Cups
16. Enthusiasm
51. The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)
These first few lines are the general aphoristic returns for the week. They are raw and uninterpreted; there to use how you’d like. (The specific readings follow.)
From “M.G.”: Too many plans and directions, only one me. Which path is the one, when you have such a finite amount of resources to dedicate to it?
If you believe like we do, that, all is nature, including humans — then it follows that humans are subject to the same processes as everything else in nature. So, when wondering what path of many to follow, consider that all things in nature follow the path of least resistance. Water doesn’t deliberate whether or not to find the lowest ground. Hearts do not experiment with alternate pulsations, but keep the most economical rhythm.
The oracle is saying for you to deeply consider following your emotions and intutions along the path of least resistance — and to allow this likely counter intuitive idea to SHOCK you into a new, gorgeous, enthusiastic rhythm with life.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the Ace of Cups. “Aces” in tarot represent the potential, latent, or even arriving, energy of a particular suit. “Cups” deal with instict, intuition and feelings. So, in combination, with the Ace of Cups, we have something like the stirring of instinctual perception or rising emtional intelligence (or possibly, emotional obfuscation). Take time to consider whether an emotional response to your situation(s) is going to work in your favor or against it — usually with passionate reactions, it’s too late, as they’ve already erupted — this is advance notice.
Our first hexagram this week is #16, Enthusiasm. Here is a principle regarding the significant movement(s) of all things and peoples; it’s pretty straightforward: when relevant energies are in accord they will move with momentum along the path of least resistance. The latter part of that statement is usually associated with weakness (“the path of least resistance”); in this case it is a simple fact to be meditated on. An isolated individual doesn’t shape nature alone, they may catalyze a reaction larger than themselves, but it is only through collective energy (enthusiasm) that large scale effects are achieved (please remember, and this is particularly relevant to today’s querent, these “groups” and “leaders” need not be external but are applicable, inwardly to the self alone). There was one change this week, of which the specific note is: “Enthusiasm should never be an egotistic emotion; it is justified only when it is a general feeling that unites one with others.”
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #51, The Arousing (Shock, Thunder). Life is quite terrifying; a simple inspection of our completely tenuous position in the universe, should make us shudder. Often though, for good reason, we are distracted from such awareness. But an unvarnished shock, a moment of sudden terror, which forces a frightening awareness of fragility, can be just the thing to orient us properly. To shake us out of our distracted, wasteful reveries into an ultimate phase of “profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly.”
- try to get ahead of an emotional reaction by using your emotional intuition
- align yourself with large momentums (this is different from mere following)
- at all times, keep in mind those you are leading
- enthusiasm is garbage when used selfishly; enthusiasm is for uniting
- allow yourself to be absolutely shocked and terrified by the fragility of yours and all’s existence; then, let an inner seriousness and bravery develop/follow
From “M.G.”: Too many plans and directions, only one me. Which path is the one, when you have such a finite amount of resources to dedicate to it?
If you believe like we do, that, all is nature, including humans — then it follows that humans are subject to the same processes as everything else in nature. So, when wondering what path of many to follow, consider that all things in nature follow the path of least resistance. Water doesn’t deliberate whether or not to find the lowest ground. Hearts do not experiment with alternate pulsations, but keep the most economical rhythm.
The oracle is saying for you to deeply consider following your emotions and intutions along the path of least resistance — and to allow this likely counter intuitive idea to SHOCK you into a new, gorgeous, enthusiastic rhythm with life.
Complete Reading
This week we pulled the Ace of Cups. “Aces” in tarot represent the potential, latent, or even arriving, energy of a particular suit. “Cups” deal with instict, intuition and feelings. So, in combination, with the Ace of Cups, we have something like the stirring of instinctual perception or rising emtional intelligence (or possibly, emotional obfuscation). Take time to consider whether an emotional response to your situation(s) is going to work in your favor or against it — usually with passionate reactions, it’s too late, as they’ve already erupted — this is advance notice.
Our first hexagram this week is #16, Enthusiasm. Here is a principle regarding the significant movement(s) of all things and peoples; it’s pretty straightforward: when relevant energies are in accord they will move with momentum along the path of least resistance. The latter part of that statement is usually associated with weakness (“the path of least resistance”); in this case it is a simple fact to be meditated on. An isolated individual doesn’t shape nature alone, they may catalyze a reaction larger than themselves, but it is only through collective energy (enthusiasm) that large scale effects are achieved (please remember, and this is particularly relevant to today’s querent, these “groups” and “leaders” need not be external but are applicable, inwardly to the self alone). There was one change this week, of which the specific note is: “Enthusiasm should never be an egotistic emotion; it is justified only when it is a general feeling that unites one with others.”
Our second hexagram, the one that suggests how best to meet the challenges (or the changes) is #51, The Arousing (Shock, Thunder). Life is quite terrifying; a simple inspection of our completely tenuous position in the universe, should make us shudder. Often though, for good reason, we are distracted from such awareness. But an unvarnished shock, a moment of sudden terror, which forces a frightening awareness of fragility, can be just the thing to orient us properly. To shake us out of our distracted, wasteful reveries into an ultimate phase of “profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly.”